


There's No Other Way

by afteriwake



Category: CSI: NY
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-18
Updated: 2012-09-18
Packaged: 2017-11-14 12:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/515378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny wants a real relationship. Lindsay's not so sure about that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's No Other Way

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Handling It](https://archiveofourown.org/works/515376) by [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake). 



> **mstatertot** asked for the prompts pillows  & water, and **mondeo** suggested that the fic be about Danny wanting a proper relationship but Lindsay not being sure. Title suggested by **aaronlisa** in a song title meme response.

"So what are you saying, Danny?" She sat on the bed, pillow pulled to her chest. He had normally left by now but he was awake, dressed, and wanting to talk. She wasn't sure she liked the sound of that.

He indicated the two of them, starting with Lindsay and moving back towards him. "This has lasted longer than a lot of my actual relationships."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"Hey, I'm trying to make a point here!" he snapped. This was not going how he wanted it to go. "Look, Lindsay, when we started this, that was fine. And it's been fine. But..."

"What?"

"I don't know if I want to do this any more."

She gaped at him for a second. "Why?"

"You ever think that maybe _I'd_ want something more? That maybe because this worked and was still working for _you_ it didn't mean it still worked for _me_?" He felt himself starting to get angry and he didn't really know why. "I mean, it's just sex, right? Isn't that what you said?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"I don't want just sex anymore." He looked at her and crossed his arms in front of him. "Now I think I understand how most of the woman I've dated have felt at some point in my relationship with them, and I don't like it."

"But we aren't like that."

"Yeah. At least with them I wasn't hiding it and I was actually _dating_ them," he said, turning away from her.

"So that's what you don't like? That we aren't open? I'm pretty sure everyone knows because, let's face it, we work with some highly intelligent and very nosy people," Lindsay said.

"Well, if they know," he said, looking at her again, "hopefully they'll realize it's history."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm done." He uncrossed his arms. "If you won't give me what I want I'm going to make myself available to someone else who _will_."

"You want a relationship, right?"

"Yes."

"Danny, I..." He shook his head and turned around, beginning to leave. Her hand shot out and grabbed his arm. "Give me time to think."

He looked at her, then nodded. "I want to know by Wednesday night." He wormed out of her reach and walked out of her room, leaving her alone. She had roughly a day and a half to figure out what she really wanted from him. She hugged the pillow closer to herself and stared into space, trying to gather up her thoughts and feelings and start sorting them out.

\---

"So if I say I want a relationship, what happens?"

Danny almost choked on the water he was swallowing. "Couldn't you have dragged me out of the break room to ask me this?" he hissed. It was the day after he'd asked for a decision; she still had a few hours left, but he was almost positive she was going to end things. It didn't put him in the greatest of moods.

"No one's here," she pointed out. "I still want an answer."

"We actually date. Go out, spend time together."

"And--"

"And we can still have sex," he said quietly. "But if you say no, sex stops."

She looked at him. "Look...tonight, can we meet up?"

He raised an eyebrow, then groaned. "Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me. After all this you still want--"

"Just be at my place when you get off work. I'll give you my answer and if you don't like it you can always leave. Like you say...no harm, no foul."

He took a deep breath and then nodded. "Fine. I'll swing by when I get off work."

She nodded, then watched him leave the break room, sitting down in his spot and hoping she was going about this the right way.

\---

The minute she opened the door and saw him standing there she leaned in and kissed him. In the whole six months they had never kissed, not really...at least not on the lips. He stood still for a second and then relaxed, leaning into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer until she finally had to take a breath.

"Lindsay..."

"I've never kissed you," she said. "We said no kissing, and I'd never kissed you and I didn't know..." She kept her arms around his neck but took a step back. "I wanted to know before I made my decision."

He stiffened slightly. "And that is what, Lindsay?"

"I think I want to try dating you." She watched the grin spread across his face. "I was thinking about it. I mean, I know the sex is good, but for the last month or so it's been...different." He opened his mouth to say something but she shook her head. "I didn't know how, so that's why I hadn't said anything. It had just changed. And then when you gave me your ultimatum today I think I figured out why."

"Wasn't me."

"No...it was me."

"How?"

"I still don't really know. But I thought about what it would be like if I'd have to go to work and see you and not be able to be anything _but_ friends."

"And?"

"I didn't like the idea much. And so I thought about what you wanted. Neither of us has really seen anyone else since we started. And...all dating means, really, is that we spend time together. Which we've been doing already. We just do it in public."

He nodded. "That's really all dating is."

"I thought you'd look at it that way." She smiled at him. "So...if we're dating now..."

"Yeah?"

"Think it might be okay if I kiss you again?"

He nodded and she leaned into him, tilting her head up and pressing her lips against his. She relaxed into him and let him wrap his arms around her waist after a few seconds. The kiss had started out simple, but after a minute or two it became anything but, evolving into one of those kisses that left you completely breathless.

His arms let go of her and she wasn't surprised when she felt his hands brush against the small amount of skin showing beneath her shirt. She moved her hands down towards his shoulders and then worked her way to the front, undoing his top button while still kissing him, something she found a little difficult but still do-able.

Something about this time was different, and it was evident in the way they took things more slowly, in the way they were closely attuned to what the other was doing. Something had been changed by the simple elevation of their former agreement and it showed.

She was the first to managed to get his shirt off, or at least his top one. Because he was still pulling her shirt up in a slow way that was driving her insane, she flattened each palm onto the bare skin of his shoulders partially to feel him and partially to help keep her balance. She kept them there until she couldn't anymore. when she lifted up her arms so he could lift her shirt off.

Within a few minutes she had pushed his shirt off as well, which he let his tank top follow soon afterwards, and he'd pulled her close again, his hands snaking around to her back to unclasp her bra. She kissed him again and for a moment he stopped what he was doing and took the time to kiss her deeply.

Eventually he went back to what he was doing and she created enough space between them for the bra to fall to the floor. He pulled her close again, and then pulled away, looking at her. "Lindsay?"

"Yeah?" she asked, having to take in deep breaths just to catch her breath.

He didn't say anything else, just ran his thumb across her cheekbone and looked at her before giving her a slow, leisurely kiss. That kiss held the entire time it took for them to make it from the entryway to her bedroom, where they stayed for quite some time, enjoying the new turn in things.


End file.
